Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Waterworks - Coal Tit

A stark contrast to the persistent rain of yesterday, the morning was bathed in warm autumnal sunshine tempered slightly by a cool moderate breeze, but it was a most agreeable day to be out.

So another late morning arrival down at the Waterworks and another couple of hours spent staring up at the sky hoping for a flyover something, something that might ignite a bit of something into a September that has been a little ordinary.

In recent days the first bird I have noted has been Siskin, usually alerted by it's mournful call. Today there were a total of six flyovers, and three Meadow Pipit heading north.

Standing in my usual spot, propped up against the wooden fenceline along the main path, I heard a familiar call. Familiar in general terms but definitely not a familiar call for the Waterworks. I scanned the top of a Poplar to see a Coal Tit that had settled there briefly before flying over my head and into the woodland on the southside,

I am aware that this is something of a local rarity, some might say mega, but it does validate the basis of contextual birding in making the usual unusual.

Also of note, a flyover Jackdaw, another bird distinguished by its relative scarcity. A Kingfisher posed briefly on Bed 13, a Shoveler flew over the hides, and a total of 12 Gadwall were present on Bed 15. A small group of House Martin passed overhead, around half a dozen Chiffchaff were active along the treeline, two Sparrowhawk were on the hunt, and a Cetti's Warbler was again vocal from the reedbed.